And he happily pointed out how good the Lakers seem to be and how much he truly enjoys playing with Steve Nash.

First, as far as starting his five-year countdown to enshrinement in basketball's Hall of Fame, it's definitely going to happen—just not in the near future.

Maybe two years, maybe three, maybe five years from now. Or maybe even at the end of this season if the Lakers win their coveted 17th franchise world championship—though it's unlikely Bryant would miss out on a chance to break the Boston Celtics' NBA record for most titles.

However, you can calm down Lakers fans. It's very possibly the last thing on Kobe's mind right now as he gets prepared for a crack at his sixth championship.

"I don't know why (the media) is paying any more attention to it now as opposed to two years ago when I said it," Bryant said quizzically. "It's the same old, same old. I don't know what caused it to get their attention right now.

"What I commented on is really no revelation." Kobe said about an internet interview he did last week. "It's my 17th season coming up and I've been fortunate to play that long. We'll see where it goes. (There's) a lot of basketball to be played."

And Bryant is very happy that the majority of that playing time will be alongside Nash.

The two-time NBA MVP has adjusted to his new Lakers teammates as if he has been playing with them for years. Which, in essence, he has, according to Kobe.

"In a sense we have been together," he said, "because we've played against each other for so long. Everything just meshes."

Bryant said that Nash plays the game at a different level than most and makes everybody on the floor with him a better player.